DENVER — A new study says children are getting too many calories from pizza.

The new report even encourages doctors to talk to kids about why too much pizza could cause some serious problems.

The Illinois Prevention Research Center conducted the study and it found that on any given day about 20 percent of the nation’s children are eating pizza.

It is now the second highest source of calories for kids under 18, right after dessert foods like cookies.

“Typically pizza is a little bit higher in saturated fat and it`s from the meats that we`re choosing and the cheese,” registered dietician Jessica Crandall said. That’s not so good and it could cause problems for kids down the road. “We don’t want our kids struggling with obesity or heart disease.”

Of course, if you use the right ingredients pizza can be healthy.

“I think people need to take a deeper look at what they’re consuming rather than going ‘this is too much of this or too much of that,'” A-Town Pizza owner William Harris said that’s why his restaurant only uses real, fresh food.

“Choose lean meats. Maybe ask for half the cheese on your pizza. Also look for a whole wheat crust or a thin crust,” Crandall said.